06/06/2026 - Danielle's Dark Corners

Happy Saturday! No intro for these three, let’s dive right in!

THE DWELLING

by Judith Sonnet

"There was something about the house, as simple as it was, that told her to turn and walk away. Something in the way the air now smelled, the way the rain fell like hot grease from a pan, the way the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stood upright, despite being slicked by the elements. It was electric. It was powerful. It was scary."

***

"Monsters were everywhere, flitting in and out of her peripheral vision. Creatures of all shapes and sizes, with multiple eyes or none at all. Things she’d read about before in old books and things she couldn’t have possibly imagined in her worst nightmares. She saw bugs and lizards and snakes and horses, and things from freakshows and old movies, and human fiends who loomed toward her with knives in their hands and sadistic glee twinkling in their crazed eyes. It was a kaleidoscope of horrors, brought to intimate life with each scream she threw at them."

***

"It’s a challenge. The more nightmarish things get, the less logic applies, the quicker weak minds break."

Damn. This book was really good. Sonnet is an author I am very familiar with and have read quite a bit of. I find myself often mentioning in reviews about her growth as an author and how I can see the development through the years, etc., but holy cannoli, this book truly highlights the best of her writing. The tone. The imagery. The vibe. The characters. Their development. The plot. Everything was damn near perfection, truly.

THE DWELLING had everything one could want in a horror book, in my opinion. Tons of elements, both campy and fun but creepy and deep. It’s really a fun book to read and I was quite delighted with the entire thing from cover to cover.

What I loved a lot was how creepy this book really was. I was genuinely sketched out at parts. Then there came the creature/cosmic vibe and I was honestly unsure how I felt about that element when it was initially introduced. But it vibed so freaking hard and really came full circle and was fantastic. Sonnet pulled off things I didn’t think would go together and seamlessly nailed it. I must mention the characters again as well because they were also done flawlessly. From their development to their dialogue.

I think this is Sonnet’s most polished work yet and couldn’t recommend it more if I tried. Everyone, go get your hands on this gem. Now!

Synopsis:

The party is over. The nightmare has only just begun.

Kelsey Stone was supposed to be the responsible one, but one wrong turn has led her and her mismatched group of friends deep into a dead zone in the Ozark hills.

When their van wheezes its final breath on a narrowing gravel road, they find themselves stranded in a forest that feels less like Missouri and more like a haunted set from a B-grade horror film.

Through the thick mist and the driving rain, they find a beacon of hope: an empty but stately house that offers shelter in the least and maybe a line to the outside world.

The group, however, soon discovers they aren't just guests inside this dwelling; they are cogs in a much larger, sinister machine and they must face a gauntlet of unthinkable terrors. In a world where the trees are closing in, and the very floor can become a death trap, Kelsey and her friends must fight to survive unspeakable horrors.

A chilling new horror novel from Judith Sonnet, the bestselling author of No One Rides For Free and The Home. Grab your copy today and keep the lights on as it scares you deep into the night.

Available on Amazon.

RECESSIVE NATURE

by Brandon Perras-Sanchez

“There will always be ghosts to hunt.” He smirks. “These slimeballs crave dark energy. Even the ones that have retired their haunts will come outta the woodwork just to feed on the stuff. And when they do, they’ll materialize, falling right into our trap.”

***

"Despite their years encountering cryptids in countless fantastical forms, the crew is awestruck by the unusual menagerie sitting before them—rarely do they stumble upon so many uncanny creatures at once, and even more rarely do they join them for dinner. Being the focal point of so many pairs of alien eyes kindles both fear and fascination in the apprehensive campers."

RECESSIVE NATURE has been on my TBR forever. And I am so mad it took me this long to read because I absolutely LOVED this book. The storytelling was top-tier, and I am obsessed with everything about it.

Perras-Sanchez is someone I am lucky to know as a person and have spent time with; I am quite familiar with his roles around indie horror movies, etc., and that shines through his writing in all the best ways possible!

RECESSIVE NATURE has such fantastic elements and a vibe of like… Ghostbusters in a fun quirky way but also has a serious and creepy tone. Lots of monsters and evil entities, especially the Jersey Devil, which I was excited to see being taken on in this book. I know, that sounds weird and I don’t know if it makes sense. I’m definitely throwing a Hail Mary with this one because it truly was such a fun and unique read.

The ending was top freaking tier as well. Such a solid and well-rounded horror book. Truly. Another one that I cannot recommend enough. Perras-Sanchez is an author I would love to see more people reading and talking about in general. He's really talented and deserves it all.

Synopsis:

NATURE IS RED IN TOOTH & CLAW! The year is 1985. Two cousins from a lineage of cryptid trophy hunters embark on a dangerous journey to track down the creature associated with the disappearance of their fathers. As they and their crew trek deeper into their expedition, they soon discover that not all traditions are worth passing down.

Available on Amazon.

ALL I WANT IS TO TAKE SHROOMS AND LISTEN TO THE COLOR OF NAZI SCREAMS

by John Baltisberger

"When I was born, I could fit in the palm of your hand, but my penis was the size of a man’s thumb."

***

"I wasn't always this way. I was once a tree, so much greater than you, taller, prouder. Then by you, I was cut down, my pride shattered and crushed into my present form. You hate me for being paper, yet you allow nothing more of me. Because you know if I were myself naturally, I would tower above you."

***

"Did you know if you open a man like an orange and remove the bones and then sew him back up, you engage in a protozoic form of molecular gastronomy that Dahmer would appreciate. Another body for the body farm in San Marcos, another mutilated experiment to be watched, another note."

***

"The constant movement of the Angel of Death was always purposeful, never without meaning. But now, her fingers twitched in agitation, a movement that betrayed her extreme discomfort."

***

"Humanity was always spitting in the face of their own potential."

ALL I WANT IS TO TAKE SHROOMS AND LISTEN TO THE COLOR OF NAZI SCREAMS is quite literally everything I could have ever wanted in a book, and more. This book blew me away. Each story is curated to what I would consider perfection. Baltisberger is someone I have been saying everyone needs to read more of. I have made it my 2026 mantra. And every time I read another story by him, it further confirms that yes, everyone needs to read more Baltisberger.

There is a reason this is an award-winner, and it shows from the very first line. There are three stories and while they’re all very different, they all hit in a way that the reader needs them to. I couldn’t believe how quickly I binge-read this bad boy, too. The bizarro aspect was hands down my favorite thing ever and I need more of it asap. I also loved the nice nod to both Mangum and Sonnet in the last story.

I actually feel like keeping this one pretty short. I have left a plethora of quotes for people to get a feel of the tone and vibe. The fact that it’s won awards speaks for itself. And this cover? Ha, incredible. It also speaks for itself. This will probably be in the top 3 collections I read in 2026. Easily. GO GET IT NOW!!

Synopsis:

"I killed my first Nazi at four years old. It wasn't art; I didn't discover the joy of a psychotropic kill until much later. Each moment that led up to it was the crescendo of a future lover screaming from around the bend of time, begging for the tantric orgasm that would define our future." Thus begins the lurid, gore-filled memoir of the author. Tainted by miles of hallucinogenic inspiration and sprinkled with poetic interludes, this audiobook seeks to bind reality with vision, discovering the truth that lies somewhere between what happened and what should have happened.

Part memoir, part novel, part collection, All I Want is to Take Shrooms and Listen to the Color of Nazis' Screams is more than a book, it's a way of life.

This astounding book won the 2023 Wonderland Award, but was taken out of print in 2024. Now it's back with a new edit, new cover art by the astounding KARMAVOID, and is joined by John's first splatterpunk novella Blood & Mud, and a never seen before novelette, The Chittering Masses. All encased in a gorgeous hard cover edition.

Praise for ALL I WANT IS TO TAKE SHROOMS AND LISTEN TO THE COLOR OF NAZI SCREAMS:

"Baltisberger shows himself to be an occultic iconoclast counterpart to Lin-Manuel Miranda: he overturns icons, constructs a a rich mythology from the rubble of that which has been torn down, and conveys it all with pulsing, infectiously inventive trash-talk." --Doris V. Sutherland, Attack of the Six-Foot TrannyExquisitely showcasing Baltisberger's evocative poetry and biting prose, ALL I WANT IS TO TAKE SHROOMS AND LISTEN TO THE COLOR OF NAZI SCREAMS is an intoxicating blood-drenched trip featuring a righteous and epic cast of characters that'll leave you buzzing with vigilante fire" -- Jessica McHugh, Three time Bram Stroker Award Nominated author of The Quiet Ways I Destroy You. Baltisberger's prose burns on the page like napalm, defoliating everything to reveal the literally monstrous truths at the center of existence. -- Charles Bernard, author of Black Sunrise on Piss Earth.

Available on Godless.

Available on Amazon.